The President of Liberia, George Weah was on Monday at the State House Presidential Villa,Aso rock,Abuja to confer with his Nigeria counter part, President Muhammudu Buhari on the situation in his country since the inauguration on the January 22,2018 and also, discuss issues of mutual interest.

The visiting Liberian President while addressing the press shortly after a close-door meeting with the Buhari called on the Nigerian government to provide 6000 teachers to his country as part of the Technical Assistance agreement between the two nations.

According to President Weah, his government inherited many problems which can only be tackled with assistance from countries like Nigeria.

Addressing journalists after his meeting with Mr. Buhari, the Liberian leader identified some of the urgent problems facing his country as youth unemployment, as well as the need to revive the education, agriculture, mining and health sectors.

“Your sustained technical assistance for capacity building in these sectors is most welcome. For example, Nigerian teachers and medical volunteers to Liberia, under the Technical Assistance Corps TAC) Agreement with Liberia, have been very crucial in boosting capacity development in Liberia, and it is my hope that this assistance can be considerably increased to address with urgency our most pressing socio-economic needs at this time.

“More specifically, under the Bilateral Teacher Exchange programme, we are seeking 6,000 plus teachers to make up for the shortage of good teachers in our educational system,” he said.

Mr. Weah thanked Mr. Buhari for the invitation extended to him and said his delegation was on a mission of “gratitude and respect for the extraordinary and exceptional role that you, our Nigerian brothers and sisters, have played and continue to play in maintaining peace and stability in the West African sub-region, and more particularly, in Liberia”.

He acknowledge that Nigeria has the most powerful army and run the largest economy in Africa, “with the most powerful army in our sub-region, you have never used your wealth and military prowess to expand your territory, threaten your neighbours, or destabilise any sovereign nation in the region”.

While bemoaning the nose-dive in the Liberia’s economy due to the continued fall in the two major export commodities,rubber and iron-ore with the attendant diminishing in foreign exchange earnings, and solicited for Nigeria investor to seek out growing opportunities in the west African country. He listed areas holding greater investment opportunities to include electricity and power sectors, road construction, housing, mining, and fisheries, and called on to Nigerian investors, either as individuals or companies, or through joint-ventures or public-private partnerships to maximize them..

“ We invite all of you to come to Liberia and explore the many new opportunities for investment that abound to increase under this new political dispensation. I promise you that you will find a government that is not only business friendly, but ready to do business.

“Our people have voted for change, and for hope. And change is finally here. But mere political change is meaningless without development, prosperity and growth.

“Your Excellency, we need Nigeria’s help to jump-start our economy. You played a major role in bringing peace to Liberia, you reformed our Army and today it is performing its duties to the highest professional standards. As we speak, they are serving in a peace-keeping mission in Mali.

“You have also built and expanded the capacities of Liberians in so many ways. For example, during our recent observance of Armed Forces Day in Liberia, we were informed that two of our military personnel will soon be graduating as pilots from one of your esteemed institutions.

“We would like to see a continuation and expansion of that programme, for both men and women,” he said.

You may recall that Mr. Weah was inaugurated into office on January 22 after defeating immediate past vice president Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.

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